Around The Camps

August 07, 1998

Patriots: Whigham

Leads With A Left

*Patriots safety Larry Whigham wants to be a leader this season. On Thursday, he led with his left.

Whigham mixed it up with offensive lineman Ed Ellis, a second-year tackle from Hamden,in the morning practice in Smithfield, R.I. It was less about something Ellis did than about Whigham trying to fire up his teammates.

``Pete Carroll has a laid-back philosophy, and that's great for this football team,'' Whigham said. ``But this team has some spunk now.''

Training camp fights are not unusual. Early in camp, first- round pickTebucky Jones of New Britain and Ben Coates got into a shoving match. But this one turned into a scrum and coaches needed to break it up. ``I hate to see fights crop up, but guys get emotional and it's to be expected,'' offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese said. ``They've got so much gear on and it's hard to do much, unless they pile up and the guy underneath [gets hurt].''

The players seemed to cool down during a team meeting, but they started up again when tight end Lovett Purnell took exception to a hit by Ty Law, and tight end Rod Rutledge pushed linebacker Bernard Russ, knocking his helmet off, and Russ took a swing in return.

``I have been calling on these guys to give it everything they've got. There is an extremely high level of intensity,'' Carroll said. ``We have tried to set up a competitive environment, and there's a fine line you walk when you ask that of the guys.

``Today, we crossed that line a couple of times to the point where a couple guys lost their poise. That happens in camp.'' . . . Whigham, elected to his first Pro Bowl last year as an AFC special teams player, is heading into his fifth year. ``Larry is a high-intensity guy who fires up other people,'' Carroll said. ``I think there is something special with him because of his ability to get everybody jacked up.''

* Giants coach Jim Fassel said quarterback Danny Kanell will play the first quarter against the Bengals in the exhibition openerSaturday at Giants Stadium. Kent Graham will take over in the second and play into the third before being replaced by Mike Cherry. . . . Tight endsAlfred Pupunu and Todd Pollack (knee injuries) will not play. . Incumbent starter Howard Cross and rookie free agent Andy Haase will split the game. Safety Sam Garnes (shoulder) will also sit out. . . . Jason Sehorn will not return kickoffs. . . . Linebacker Scott Galyon had a surprise after lunch Thursday. Teammates Pete Monty and Ryan Phillips covered Galyon's pickup truck with plastic wrap.

* Alonzo Spellman, arrested on an outstanding weapons warrant this week in New Jersey, worked out with the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Fla., his first look from any team since being released by the Bears after several run-ins with authorities. ``Quality defensive linemen are always difficult to come by,'' Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin said. In March, Spellman was hospitalized after an eight-hour standoff with Chicago police at the home of his publicist.

* Surgery for Elway's wife: Broncos quarterback John Elway will miss an exhibition game against the Rams on Saturday to be with his wife, who had colon surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Janet Elway reportedly has Crohn's Disease, a chronic disease of the intestinal tract. . . . The Broncos re-signed receiver Rod Smith to a six-year, $19.2 million contract that includes a $2.4 million signing bonus. Last season, Smith caught 70 passes for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. . . . Dolphins tackle Richmond Webb,a seven- time Pro Bowl selection, underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery and will miss the first two exhibition games. . . . Packers backup defensive back Roderick Mullen and backup fullback Edwin Watson each had shoulder surgery and may miss the season. . . . Chargers defensive end Jamal Williams,a second-round pick from Oklahoma State, agreed to a six-year contract.